Crossword Clue: Facial feature below the mouth
Here's the answer to the Facial feature below the mouth crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: CHIN
CHIN solves the clue "Facial feature below the mouth". Spanning 4 letters (1 vowel, 3 consonants), it begins at C and ends at N. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
The chin is the protruding part of the lower jaw, and humans are unusual among primates in having a distinct bony one. Encouraging someone to 'keep your chin up' urges them to stay optimistic in hard times.
Common usage
Chin turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like CHIN interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, CHIN shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of CHIN's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue CHIN — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed CHIN was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing CHIN into the grid took no time at all."
- "Chin is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."